Baseball Joe of the Silver Stars Part 14

"I--well--I hope not," was the hesitating answer.

"Does that mean you don't think I'm doing all I ought to?" demanded the pitcher defiantly.

"Of course not. I know you wouldn't throw the game. Only I wish we could strike more of them out," and the manager looked anxiously over the field as his players were stationing themselves.

"Wait and see what I do this inning," invited Sam. "Perhaps you want that new fellow to go in the box in my place." His voice was sneering now.

"Who, Joe Matson?" asked Darrell quickly.

"That's who I mean," replied Sam surlily.

"Don't be foolish," was the manager's quiet answer. "You know he hasn't had any experience in the box--or at least enough to play on our team, though I think he'll make a good fielder. Now do your prettiest Sam. You can, you know."

"All right," a.s.sented the pitcher, and once more the game was underway.

The fifth inning was productive of one run for the Silver Stars and this after they had retired their rivals. .h.i.tless, for Sam did some excellent pitching. There was a howl of delight as the first tally came in, making the score two to one in favor of our friends. And there was none out.

"Now we ought to walk away from them," called Darrell to his players.

Joe came up to bat and to his delight he got a single. He was advanced to second when the next player connected with the ball, and then followed some see-sawing on the part of the pitcher and the second baseman, in an endeavor to catch Joe napping.

Once our hero thought he saw a good chance to steal third and he was about to take it when something warned him to come back. He did, and only just in time, for the pitcher threw to second. It was a close shave.

Joe slid head foremost and as his fingers touched the bag the second baseman leaped up in the air to catch the ball which the pitcher had wildly thrown high.

When the baseman came down, making a wild effort to touch Joe, the iron cleat of one shoe caught the little finger of Joe's left hand and cut it cruelly.

The plucky centre fielder tried to stifle the groan of anguish that rose to his lips, but it was impossible. The baseman was aware of the accident.

Dropping the ball he knelt over Joe.

"I'm mighty sorry, old man!" he exclaimed. "Are you hurt much?"

"No--no. I--I guess not," murmured Joe, and then all got black before his eyes, and there was a curious roaring in his ears.

CHAPTER XI

JOE'S RUN

"Water here! Bring some water!" yelled Smart, who was holding down second base for the Reds. "He's fainted I guess."

There was a rush of players toward Joe, and Darrell was the first to reach him.

"What's the matter, old man?" he asked sympathetically.

"I'm afraid I spiked him," answered Smart, ruefully. "I jumped for the ball, and came down on his hand I guess."

"Too bad," murmured Darrell.

They turned Joe over, for he was lying on his face, and saw his left hand covered with blood.

"Where's that first-aid kit?" called Tom Davis, who had rushed on the field on seeing his friend hurt.

"Here it is," answered Rodney Burke, who acted as the amateur surgeon on the few times his services had been required. "I'll bandage it up. Had we better get a doctor?"

Meanwhile some water had been sprinkled in Joe's face and some forced between his lips. He opened his eyes as the others were washing the blood from his hand.

"I--I'm all right," he murmured, as he strove to rise.

"Now that's all right--you just lie still," commanded Darrell. "Look at it Rod, and see how bad it is."

Fortunately the wound was not as serious as had at first seemed and when cleansed of dirt and blood it was seen to be a long cut, lengthwise of the finger.

"I'll have that done up in a jiffy," remarked Rodney, who was not a little proud of his skill. His father was a physician, and had shown the son how to make simple bandages. The wound was cleansed with an antiseptic solution and wrapped in the long narrow strips of bandage cloth. Joe got to his feet while this was being done, and, after a little water containing aromatic spirits of ammonia had been given to him, he declared that he was all right.

"Are you sure?" asked Darrell anxiously.

"Sure, I'll bring in a run yet if some one knocks the ball far enough,"

said Joe with a smile, though it was rather a feeble one.

"Nonsense, you can't run after that," exclaimed Murphy, the Red captain.

"Give him a man," he added generously to his rival. "We don't care."

"I think I had better send Newton down to run for you," said Captain Rankin.

"But I'm going to play," insisted Joe.

"Yes, next inning," he was a.s.sured, and the game went on.

However, even the subst.i.tution of a runner in Joe's place availed nothing, as the side was soon afterward retired with the men expiring on bases, and the one run was all the Silver Stars could gather in. Still that made the score two to one in their favor.

There was a big surprise in the next inning. The Reds came to bat full of confidence, and the first man up rapped out as pretty a three bagger as had been pulled off that day. It went to deep right field, for which Joe was thankful, as even with his finger protected by a bandage and a heavy glove on his hand, he felt that he would wince at catching a swift ball, and might possibly m.u.f.f it. That was what the right fielder did, though he managed to pick it up quickly enough to prevent the player from going on in to home.

Whether the fact of being hit for a long poke made Sam lose his temper, or the knowledge that part of his support consisted of a wounded player made him nervous, was not manifest, but the fact remains that the pitcher "went up in the air" after that. He gave one man his base on b.a.l.l.s, and when the next player came up, and rapped out a two bagger the man at third went on in, and there was a man holding down third while one on second nearly made the bases full.

"Easy now," cautioned Darrell to Sam. "Hold 'em down."

"Um!" grunted Sam, and what he meant by it might be imagined, but he _did_ strike out the next two men. Then came a single which resulted in a tally being made, being the second run of the inning. Sam shut his teeth grimly. There were now two out and two men on bases and Sam felt his nerve leaving him. But by a strong effort he braced himself, and did the trick to the next man, stopping the winning streak of the Reds just in time.

"Three to two against us," murmured Darrell as he looked at the score board when he and his mates came in for their turn at the bat. "That isn't going as I'd like to see it. Say, fellows, we've got to knuckle down if we want to pull this game out of the fire."

"That's what," murmured George Rankin, and, perhaps involuntarily, he glanced at Sam.

"Oh, I know what you fellows mean without you saying so!" snapped the pitcher. "I wish you'd keep your remarks to yourselves. I can pitch all right."

"No one said you couldn't," declared Darrell gently.